Director, Host Software AI​/HPC Networking

At Cornelis we’re building the future of AI and HPC networking with an AI-first approach to silicon and software development. We’re seeking engineers who are energized by working on cutting‑edge ASIC design and distributed software systems, and who are motivated to push the boundaries on how AI can transform everything from chip architecture to system performance at scale.

Cornelis Networks delivers the world’s highest performance scale‑out networking solutions for AI and HPC datacenters. Our differentiated architecture seamlessly integrates hardware, software and system‑level technologies to maximize the efficiency of GPU, CPU and accelerator‑based compute clusters at any scale. Our solutions drive breakthroughs in AI and HPC workloads, empowering our customers to push the boundaries of innovation. Backed by top‑tier venture capital and strategic investors, we are committed to innovation, performance and scalability - solving the world’s most demanding computational challenges with our next‑generation networking solutions.

We are a fast‑growing, forward‑thinking team of architects, engineers, and business professionals with a proven track record of building successful products and companies. As a global organization, our team spans multiple U.S. states and six countries, and we continue to expand with exceptional talent in onsite, hybrid, and fully remote roles.

We are seeking a Director, Host Software to lead the engineering team responsible for our complete host‑side software ecosystem. This domain encompasses everything from performance‑critical Linux kernel drivers and hardware abstraction layers to high‑performance transport libraries and AI/HPC middleware integration.

In this role, you will foster a culture of technical excellence and empowerment, where engineers are encouraged to prototype novel solutions and drive end‑to‑end ownership of their features. You will lead the definition and delivery of host software for future product generations, ensuring our fabric delivers industry‑leading performance for the world’s most demanding computational workloads. You will also champion the use of modern development tools, including AI‑augmented workflows, to amplify the team's impact and velocity.

• Lead and grow a high‑performance host software organization focused on systems‑level programming and ecosystem integration.
• Foster an environment of technical ownership where engineers are empowered to design, prototype, and product ionize novel solutions.
• Provide mentorship and career development for technical contributors, promoting a culture of continuous innovation and high‑quality engineering.
• Guide the team in leveraging modern development tools and AI‑augmented workflows to accelerate development cycles and improve software reliability.

• Host Software Strategy:
  Lead the technical definition and delivery of the host software stack for future product generations, aligning software capabilities with hardware features and customer requirements.
• Kernel & Driver Development:
  Oversee the development of Linux kernel‑mode drivers (e.g., netdev, RDMA, PCIe interfaces) with a focus on low‑latency and high‑throughput communication paths.
• Transport & Protocol:
  Direct the implementation of user‑mode libraries and protocol state machines (e.g., libfabric/OFI providers, verbs‑style semantics) that define wire behavior and hardware interface efficiency.
• Middleware & Ecosystem:
  Ensure top‑tier performance for AI/HPC frameworks by leading the integration and optimization of collective communication libraries (NCCL/RCCL), MPI/SHMEM, and broad support for various hardware technologies and configurations, such as ARM processor support, cloud‑native components like Kubernetes network operators, etc.

• Partner closely with hardware, firmware, and switch software teams to define system‑level interfaces and ensure end‑to‑end performance and stability.
• Represent Cornelis Networks in relevant open‑source communities (Linux kernel, Open Fabrics, Ultra Ethernet, etc.) to drive up streaming and ecosystem alignment.
• Collabo…